Review Of Lemon Tree Premier, Ulsoor, Bangalore
While looking for accommodation in Bangalore I got a terrific deal on an online site for the Lemon Tree Premier, Ulsoor. Being familiar with the Lemon Tree Premier properties in Delhi & Gurgaon, I booked it immediately. However, it turned out to be a bit of a disappointment – perhaps I was expecting the same quality of ambience and service as can be found in most of the Lemon Tree Premier properties, which was not of the same standard.
The location of the Lemon Tree Premier, Ulsoor is great – it is in a quieter, less congested part of Bangalore. It is some 36 KMs from the airport and an app-based cab will cost in the range of INR 850 to reach there. I arrived at the hotel at 1400 hrs, which also happens to be the normal check-in time of the hotel. I was greeted warmly enough at the reception and they had no trouble locating my booking. I had put in a request for a smoking room, and one would think that with the check-out time being 12 noon, they would have a room ready for you at 1400. However, this was not the case. I was told that it would take about 10 minutes to get the room ready, which was fair enough, and I opted to wait in the lobby. While I was still at the reception, there was another couple who were debating about checking-in – probably a walk-in and they filled the registration form after I had already finished with mine. They too requested for a smoking room, and surprisingly, got a room allocated ahead of me, though I had finished with my registration much before them. It took a total of 35 minutes before I was shown up to mine. Leaves one wondering about service standards.
While waiting at the reception, I had plenty of time to go over the lobby, which was not very big, and had some limited sofa seating in two of the corners. The décor was typically Lemon Tree, with large pieces of stained glass hanging from the ceiling in abstract design. The reception was also typically Lemon Tree standard, with the familiar Lemon Tree circular design logo on the wall done in decorative glass. That way they are pretty consistent. The unmistakable lemon-scent that is found in all their properties was also everywhere, right from the lobby to the corridors outside the rooms.
The room that I was given was pretty decent, though. Since I was single, I got a room that seemed to have been built for single occupancy, with a decent sized single bed, a work station and a two-seater sofa with a center table. I say decent-sized single bed because though it was pretty wide, it did not appear as if two people could comfortably sleep in it. However, the room was spotlessly clean, as were the beds with spotless white sheets and pillows. A flat-screen TV adorned the wall opposite the bed. The room was decorated with abstract paintings – again a standard feature in this chain. The cloth of the sofa looked a bit worn out – maybe they should consider a refurbishment soon. Other amenities in the room included a tea-coffee maker, a bottle of mineral water, a minibar with a small refrigerator, an electronic safe, an open wardrobe, an iron and ironing board, which is a nice thoughtful touch. Size-wise, it was pretty spacious so no complaints on that account.
The bathroom, though not very big, was again as clean as the room, with a separate shower booth. Amenities in the bathroom were barest minimum – as is the case with most budget hotels. However, the image that I had in mind before I arrived was not that of a budget property, since it was categorized as a Premier. The bathroom was equipped with a hair dryer, though. No toilet kits, I’m afraid. Perhaps they are available on demand.
Overall, though, the room was pretty comfortable and I slept quite well. As I was only there for one night and had to leave early next morning, I did not have the opportunity to try out their breakfast. The check-out was a lot faster than the check-in and the whole process took less than 2 minutes.
My verdict – good hotel for short business trips.
Rajiv Bajaj asserts his right to be identified as the author of this work. Any views or opinions expressed in this review is that of the author. All copyright and pictures are the property of the author.
